


The Kiss of the Secret Bee

by gompadre



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Body Swap, Lots of Cursing, M/M, Really Annoying Friends, naughty dragons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 20:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21142532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gompadre/pseuds/gompadre
Summary: Kyungsoo and his miniature dragon Junmyeon run an alchemist's cafe called The Secret Bee. Jongin is his apprentice. And he's not a very good one. One day, when Jongin is tinkering with things he shouldn't be touching, something goes terribly wrong.Prompt #T158





	The Kiss of the Secret Bee

“For fuck’s sake, Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo hissed, wincing when the bubbling bright green potion sloshed out of the beaker.

Jongin looked up in time to see the dragon let out an indignant puff, slithering out from underneath Kyungsoo’s feet.

“You were out to see Baekhyun again, weren’t you,” Kyungsoo muttered, wiping the moss that sprung up on his hand from the spilled potion after he set it down.

“I was _not_,” Junmyeon huffed, scrabbling up the bookcase to his favorite perch. “And that has nothing to do you with you trying to step on me because _you_ weren’t looking.”

Kyungsoo stuck his tongue out at the dragon, flicking a bit of moss his way, but Junmyeon was too fast, dodging it with a dirty look. Jongin smothered a giggle.

“People actually like this?” the dragon muttered, giving the moss a disgusted sniff.

“It’s _edible_ moss, of course they do,” Kyungsoo said, rolling his eyes.

“It tastes like coconut ginger,” Jongin said, reaching past Kyungsoo to dip his finger into the potion.

“_No_ tasting,” Kyungsoo hissed.

“Sorry,” Jongin murmured. He licked the moss that formed on his fingertip with downcast eyes, heat in his cheeks.

He’d been Kyungsoo’s apprentice for close to three months now, and was finally accepting the fact that he had a ridiculously huge crush on the alchemist. Kyungsoo wasn’t that much older than him, which was surprising given his skill, but that was also why he had a prestigious reputation. The alchemist refused to open a bigger shop, taking orders in the cozy brick-walled interior of The Secret Bee, which Jongin had come to love.

He’d also come to love that he was Kyungsoo’s only apprentice. Jongin had become quite protective of the alchemist in the past months, and as his protectiveness grew, so did his crush. Jongin had lost his train of thought more than once because of Kyungsoo’s cuteness. There was something about the way Kyungsoo’s cheeks turned pink with heat and effort when he cooked potions, the way he chewed on his bottom lip in concentration as he measured ingredients, the way his eyes twinkled when he spoke about alchemy. Yeah, Jongin was completely infatuated.

Which, unfortunately, made him clumsy. Kyungsoo nagged him about it a lot, which only made it worse, because then he was clumsy _and_ embarrassed, but he couldn’t help it. He’d knocked over two batches of blackberry pudding, burned himself steaming tea, broken a jar of ground demon horns, burned a batch of brimstone froth, and stepped on Junmyeon’s tail twice. He’d also stepped on Baekhyun, a stray magenta-colored miniature dragon (which some people affectionately called “teacup dragons” even though they were about the size of a cat) who liked to visit, mostly to mooch Junmyeon’s food, but also because he and the teal dragon were “boyfies.” Jongin didn’t count stepping on Baekhyun as an incident because Baekhyun wasn’t supposed to be in their shop anyway.

“I know you’re not letting the spirit of box boil,” Kyungsoo warned, breaking Jongin out of his reverie.

Jongin cursed, rushing to the stove. Thankfully it wasn’t boiling, but it was just about to, bubbles pearling on the inside of the wood-lined pot. He took it off the flame and brought it to the counter, hissing when he brought it dangerously close to Kyungsoo’s arm, but the other didn’t seem to notice. Sometimes, when the days were slow, Jongin would imagine himself conjuring up incredible potions, and doing so with such efficiency and flair that Kyungsoo would swoon and faint, and Jongin would save him from falling into a cauldron. And sometimes he would imagine being Kyungsoo’s apprentice, years later, with a coordination so awesome that the two of them in the workroom would look like dancers following a royal choreography. But first he needed to help Kyungsoo finish this potion and survive til the end of the day. Yeah, baby steps.

🝮

He wanted to make something special. Something that would wow Kyungsoo, something that would sweep Kyungsoo off his feet and make him see something in Jongin, preferably something caring and romantic and beautiful. Love potions were never _actually_ love potions; creating something that robbed someone of their consent was illegal, but the love potions lots of alchemists made were about sharpening the senses, making the drinker more aware of everything (including any lingering or deep-rooted romantic feelings). These potions could also charm people, a few hours of good cheer and giggly sweetness (like drunkenness, but without the impairment). Jongin was going for the latter, if only to fall more in love with the brightness of Kyungsoo’s smile.

He started with blackberries, the beaker warming when he put the flame at a simmer. Then he cut a fresh Dreamfruit, which looked like a cross between a persimmon and a dragonfruit, square and pink and fleshy. He scooped out the fuchsia insides, seeds and all, and plopped it into the beaker, the jasmine-tinted perfume of the fruit wafting through the back end of the shop as it mixed with the blackberries. It was the last one in the basket, but he didn’t worry; the result of this potion would be so magnificent there would be no way Kyungsoo could get upset about that.

“Should you be touching any of this?” Baekhyun asked.

Jongin jumped and cursed, his eyes widening when an extra drop of Qilin tears plopped into the beaker. He took a deep breath. One drop wouldn’t going to make that much of a difference, would it? He shot the magenta dragon a dirty look anyway, growling when Baekhyun hopped up the steps and sniffed the beaker.

“I’m allowed to cook,” Jongin grunted.

The dragon gave him a skeptical look then trotted over to a rind of grapefruit Jongin left out earlier. “You don’t even keep your workstation clean.”

“I’ll do it all when I’m done,” Jongin hissed.

“Kyungsoo always says you have to clean as you go,” Baekhyun quipped.

“Why are you here?” Jongin snapped. Sometimes the little dragon was a pain in the ass, and it was in those moments that Jongin wished Kyungsoo enforced the “No Stray Dragons” rule.

“To see Junmyeon,” Baekhyun said, with as much snootiness in his voice as he could muster. “But it’s also fun to see what a train wreck you are.”

“I am not!” Jongin spluttered. Just then the beaker sneezed out an iridescent cloud that smelled of jasmine and early morning mist. He grinned and threw in a pinch of storm sugar, for the clarity of cold rain. Then he pouted. He knew what it was missing. A bit of ordinary rosemary, enough to tamp down the jasmine and bring out the tea-smoked arcane honey, and the added sweetness of raspberries.

“I don’t like the look on your face right now,” the dragon mumbled, but he hopped down from the table to follow Jongin into the storeroom anyway. The door closed with a click.

“I don’t know why you’re worrying so much,” Jongin huffed as he searched through the jars and boxes. The dragon jumped onto one of the shelves, pausing when a few jars clattered noisily. “Don’t knock anything over! You shouldn’t even be on these shelves.”

“Hey, I’m not the one making some random concoction in the other room without permission,” Baekhyun said, his ears swiveling. The dragon leaned out as far as he could, gasping when he looked through the window of the storeroom door.

“What?” Jongin half-snarled.

Then he turned around and saw Kyungsoo and Junmyeon walking into the room. The liquid in the beaker had turned a dangerous shade of purple, boiling and bubbling and steaming up the room. Kyungsoo peered at it, then moved to bring down the flame when the beaker coughed up another cloud, this one dense and the color of mulberry jam. Kyungsoo yelped and Junmyeon bared his teeth, the dragon scuttling away from the turbulent cloud.

The door was locked. Jongin tried to turn the doorknob, cursing spectacularly when it didn’t budge. He nudged the door with his shoulder, then threw himself against it, but it was of no use. The door wouldn’t open.

“Oh fuck,” he whimpered.

“Fuck is right,” Baekhyun chimed in. Jongin was too panicked to notice when the dragon had perched itself on his shoulders, little claws pricking his skin. “You’ll be lucky to keep your head after this.”

The plume of plum smoke shimmered and spread, mushrooming until it took up most of the room. He could only see Kyungsoo’s scowl, hazy as the smoke grew dense. Even Junmyeon’s turquoise scales were lost in the plum. Until—

Until it was gone. The smoke disappeared into their bodies, leaving the room pristine. Jongin tried the door knob, cursing when it opened smoothly.

They were both unconscious. Junmyeon was on his side, the cream scales of his belly gleaming in the filtered sunlight. And Kyungsoo… he looked peaceful slumped against the worktable, full lips gently parted as his eyelashes brushed against the dome of his cheek.

“Do you think he’s dead?” Baekhyun half-whispered.

“Shut up or I’ll make a purse out of you,” Jongin hissed. He propped the jar of raspberries on the countertop before brushing away a stray lock of hair from Kyungsoo’s temple. He gently pressed against Kyungsoo’s neck, breathing out a sigh of relief when he felt the flutter of Kyungsoo’s pulse.

But his relief was short-lived. Kyungsoo stirred, frowning as he opened his eyes.

“You look small,” he said. Then, “why do I sound like this? And why do I have hands?”

“Wh— you have hands because you’re human!” Jongin squeaked.

Their eyes widened, meeting in panic.

“Oh. Oh no. Shit, shitshit_shit_,” Jongin dropped to his knees, crawling to the turquoise dragon’s side. The cream of his belly rose and fell with his breaths, a tiny, yellow claw twitching.

“He’s going to skin you alive,” Junmyeon said.

“So am I!” Baekhyun squawked, hopping off Jongin’s back to sit on Junmyeon’s lap. “My boyfriend is _human_ now!”

Jongin licked his lips, stroking the hard scales of the dragon’s snout. It sneezed, a puff of plum the only warning Jongin had before it opened its eyes.

“Okay. It’s okay, Kyungsoo. Just take it slow and don’t freak o—”

A tiny, draconic scream pierced the shop.

“What the _fuck?!_” The dragon hopped to its feet, and promptly tipped over. “Wha— No. No, this can’t be happening. Why am I a _dragon_?”

“Not just any dragon,” Baekhyun grumbled. “_Junmyeon_.”

Kyungsoo looked up at his body, at the look of bewilderment in Junmyeon’s eyes, then he met Jongin’s panic-stricken eyes.

“_You_,” Kyungsoo hissed, clambering to his feet again. He took a wobbly step towards Jongin, claws clacking against the stone floor. “I’m going to eat you in your sleep.”

Jongin blanched, inching away from the dragon. Kyungsoo had turned a very light shade of aqua, his horns a dangerous shade of magenta.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered.

“As you should be!” Kyungsoo screeched, but the force of his voice was too much and he toppled over. “Make another abominable potion and fix this!”

“I c-can’t,” Jongin said under his breath, wincing when the dragon showed his teeth.

“Why _not_?” Kyungsoo snarled.

“We’re out of aether pudding, and there isn’t enough arcane honey or Qilin tears—”

“Qilin tears? Why were you anywhere _near_ the Qilin tears?” Kyungsoo squawked.

Jongin opened his mouth to reply when the sound of shattering glass cut him off. They looked right to find Junmyeon clinging to the edge of the counter, the raspberry preserves jar broken on the masonry while Junmyeon gave them a wide-eyed look.

“I think this is going to take some getting used to,” Junmyeon chuckled, wobbling as he finished standing up. Baekhyun, who’d hopped onto the countertop, wormed his way between Junmyeon’s arm and side, sniffing the air cautiously.

“I cannot _believe_ this is happening right now,” Kyungsoo screeched.

“I’m sorry,” Jongin said in a small voice.

A thick, hard silence fell over them, interrupted only by the clack of Kyungsoo’s claws against the stone floor as the little dragon took two steps towards Jongin.

“Get,” the dragon growled, “_out_.”

Jongin stood and swallowed hard. He took a step towards the mess on the floor, but Kyungsoo’s deep-throated growl stopped him; instead, he edged his way out of the shop.

The cobblestones were limned with sunlight, and the scent of crushed raspberries followed him out onto the street. Ordinarily it would have been a beautiful sight, but now it only made his stomach slosh. He was definitely fired, for one, which sucked because he needed the apprenticeship. And not only was he definitely fired, but Kyungsoo definitely hated him now, which made his heart constrict. He’d only wanted to make something _nice_ for him, and yet…

He scuffed his boot against the trolley stop, hands in his pockets, as he waited. Of course he’d ruined this. Jongin sniffed, cursing when tears pricked his eyes. Crying wouldn’t solve anything! But it would at least soothe his aching heart, so he sniffled a few times, wiped his face, and went home.

🝰

The next morning, Jongin still rose early, bathed, ate breakfast, and took the trolley to The Secret Bee. A moment’s hesitation in front of the door to gather his courage, then he walked in.

The shop felt eerily deserted. The usual bustle was missing, as well as the scents of ozone and gold, honey and herbs. Jongin gulped and made his way to the back.

“He’s back!” he heard Baekhyun shout before he’d even finished opening the door.

“Ugh, I don’t know how you can work with a nose like this,” Junmyeon grumbled, “I didn’t smell him come in.”

Jongin tried to smile, but he was sure it looked as pained as it felt. Baekhyun was sitting on the countertop, Junmyeon curled up on the corner sofa, still very much in Kyungsoo’s body. Yeah, he was still fucked.

“I told you he would come back,” Baekhyun continued, then he snickered. “You’re walking funny.”

The teal dragon marched out the storeroom, glaring up at Baekhyun. “You try walking in a different body,” Kyungsoo growled.

He stopped just short of Jongin’s feet, claws clacking as he planted his paws firmly on the tops of Jongin’s shoes.

“Hi,” Jongin squeaked.

“Yeah, whatever. Go clean up the mess Junmyeon made, Chanyeol and Sehun will be here any minute. Then _we_ are leaving,” the dragon huffed.

Jongin gulped, partly out of relief, and partly out of fear. At least Kyungsoo wasn’t throwing him out, but his tone…

The dragon stomped off, settling on a cushion Junmyeon had placed on the floor.

“Isn’t the dragon bed more comfortable?” Jongin asked.

“He hasn’t figured out how to jump yet,” Baekhyun quipped, sounding far too smug.

Kyungsoo glared at them both. “But I know how to bite,” he snapped.

Jongin bit his lip to hold back his laughter, because the last thing he needed to do was laugh at his boss when _he_ was the source of the predicament. But grumpy Kyungsoo had always been cute, and grumpy miniature dragon Kyungsoo was even cuter. It took a lot of self-control to not pick the dragon up and cuddle it, so Jongin got to work picking up the shards of glass. The raspberry preserves had crusted over, sticky gunk that stained the shale tiles of the workroom floor. First he threw out the big chunks of broken jar glass and swept the smaller bits, then he rinsed out all the containers he’d used the day before, wiped down the counters, and finally, _finally_, started scrubbing the floor. His pride (and his knees) were definitely going to be bruised, but he certainly didn’t want to leave raspberry preserve goo stuck everywhere. He took a bucket with soapy water and a brush and started to scrub.

Then it was quiet. Baekhyun had half-flown, half hopped his way to Junmyeon’s lap, curled up, and fallen asleep, and Junmyeon followed suit, his head drooping onto the cushion. Kyungsoo had tucked his legs underneath himself, glaring at the wall until his eyelids began to wilt, the little dragon’s snout touching the floor when he fell asleep. Jongin’s arms ached and he fought the urge to yawn until he couldn’t. The sound of bristles against the floor soothed him, steady in the growing quiet of the shop.

The bell at the shop door tinkled, and the silence was interrupted by a boisterous laugh that meant Chanyeol and Sehun had arrived. Jongin paused his scrubbing and sat back on his heels, biting his lip when he saw the teal dragon stir from his sleep.

“Hey guys— oh,” Chanyeol boomed, sticking his head into the workroom.

“Watch it!” Kyungsoo yelped, scrambling to move out of their way.

“Oh hey buddy! Whatcha doing down th—”

“Do _not_ pick me up, for fuck’s sake,” Kyungsoo hissed, skittering to avoid Chanyeol’s hands.

“You’re awfully grumpy today,” Chanyeol grumbled. “If I didn’t know any better I would say you’re acting like Kyungsoo.”

“That’s because he _is_ Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun said with a yawn.

Chanyeol and Sehun stared at him, then at Kyungsoo, then at Junmyeon, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“You know I don’t like being pranked,” Sehun grumbled.

“It’s not a prank,” Kyungsoo snapped.

“How?” Chanyeol and Sehun asked.

“It was, uh, my fault,” Jongin said meekly, raising his hand to wave at them.

“Oof,” said Sehun, “should I even ask?”

“Look,” Kyungsoo squeaked, walking over to Sehun’s side, “I need you guys to do me a favor and watch the shop while I’m gone. Junmyeon doesn’t know how to use a human body and I’m not about to let Jongin go off on his own to buy ingredients after this, so I need someone here. At least to let people know what’s going on. Wait no, don’t tell anyone, that’s embarrassing. Tell them I’m—”

“Home with a bad case of the shits?” Sehun interrupted.

“I will bite your leg off,” Kyungsoo growled.

The tall wizard giggled, but the color drained from his cheeks when the dragon bared its teeth.

“You could say you broke your wrist,” Chanyeol suggested.

“That’s what the big doofus is good for,” Baekhyun said. “He’s supposed to be able to measure and cut and stir and package and massage and jerk and—”

“Ha!” Jongin rubbed his red ears, gulping when the magenta dragon gave him a smug look. “I think he means it needs to be something that knocks us both out of commission.”

“Stomach flu!” Chanyeol offered.

“What is it with you two and stomach illnesses?” Junmyeon said, pulling a face.

“Geostigma!” Sehun said.

“We need them to be too sick to work, not dead,” Chanyeol snapped. “What about electric flu?”

“That could work, actually,” said Kyungsoo. “Alright, Jongin make the list. We’re leaving now.”

“R-right now?” Jongin asked.

He stood and rubbed his knees, throwing the brush into the bucket. The dragon scoffed.

“_Yes_ now. I’m not trying to be a dragon for more than a day. Let’s get moving.”

🝮

The Alchemist’s Tower was at the very center of all the districts, the golden flower that topped the cupola winking in the sunlight. Jongin had only studied in the tower for a few months before he got his apprenticeship with Kyungsoo, but in that time it hadn’t lost it’s intimidating aura.

He clambered out of the trolley. The Castle Line ended in the middle of a bustling marketplace, so crowded he could hardly make out the dusty blue stone floor that made up most of the Castle District. His bag shifted, and he tried not to squirm when Kyungsoo’s breath tickled his neck.

“You have the list on you, right?” the dragon asked.

“For the gajillionth time, _yes_,” Jongin hissed.

“Don’t sass me,” Kyungsoo snapped, pricking the back of Jongin’s neck with a claw, “I’ll stop quadruple checking everything you do when you stop experimenting and _kicking me out of my body_.”

Okay, so Jongin couldn’t really say anything to that.

“I’ve never messed anything up before,” he grumbled in protest.

“That I _know_ of,” the dragon. 

Jongin couldn’t argue with that. He’d fixed most of his mistakes before Kyungsoo could notice, even if the other seemed confused when they ran out of ingredients faster. He shifted his pack, sighing when Kyungsoo squirmed and made it tilt to the right again, and started down the street.

The tower had an entrance for each district. The Castle District’s entrance was covered in gilded swirling patterns, and as they walked down the wide avenue the magnificent gate came into view. These gates were always open, and the bronze doors were bolted to the walls inside, but people still gave the gates a wide berth, out of quiet respect if nothing else. That was why the bustle of the marketplace was behind them, too racuous to crowd the Tower’s gate. The stores closest to the Tower had reputations to uphold as the priciest (and fanciest) shops, regardless of the district. The shops that lined the Main Road had gleaming golden fountains pens and leather-bound tomes behind glass windows, feathered hats and twinkling canes nestled between skirts of voluminous silk. One shop had beautiful bronze, glass, and faceted diamond beakers, and Jongin couldn’t help but stop before it.

“Aish, keep it moving, Jongin,” Kyungsoo grumbled. Then, “that faceted beaker is really nice though.”

“Isn’t it?”

“That’s enough looking, let’s get the ingredients we need,” the dragon huffed.

Jongin shook his head with a fond smile. He’d actually miss Kyungsoo as a dragon. He wouldn’t admit it (because he wanted to keep his head), but he wanted to cuddle the dragon and kiss its tummy, especially if Kyungsoo put up a mild protest. Except knowing Kyungsoo, the protesting would be anything _but_ mild.

The inside of the tower was full of mages and alchemists in heavy robes, rich purples and blues with twinkling gold and silver stars, and embroidered patches of golden flowers. Some of them wore pointed hats while others wore turbans; some had scarves draped around their necks and some had glinting necklaces. Most of them didn’t notice Jongin, too preoccupied with their (undoubtedly very important) thoughts to give a young apprentice and a miniature dragon more than a glance.

To the right of the tower, nestled between the Castle District entrance and the Lake District, was the Tower Store. The vendor who ran it was swathed in peacock blue silk with gold beading. He twirled his beard around his finger, lost in thought as he stared into the crowd.

“Good afternoon,” Jongin said meekly.

The vendor jumped, laughing when he saw Jongin’s startled face. “Hello, good sir. What can I do for you today?”

“Do you have storm sugar?” Jongin started, taking the list from the dragon’s mouth when Kyungsoo offered it.

The vendor let out a triumphant grunt when he found it, extracting a wooden spoon to pour it into the cloth sack. Jongin hissed when a granule rolled off the spoon and whizzed past the metal corner of the table. Thankfully, it made no contact; Jongin learned about the dangers of storm sugar thanks to one of his classmates, who poured a pile of it onto a metal plate to be weighed. Jongin couldn’t touch anything without the pain of static shock interfering for _weeks_.

“What else do you need?” The vendor asked, scratching his neck.

“Edible aether,” Jongin said, already spotting the gently glowing jam in small jars between the blistering lavender and the tiger hemp.

The vendor handed over a single jar, but reluctantly handed over more when Jongin gave him a pointed look. He didn’t care if the vendor had low inventory later, he _needed_ a _lot_ of aether.

“Qilin tears?” he asked once he’d stuffed the jars into his bag. Kyungsoo clambered onto his shoulders and wrapped his tail around Jongin’s neck. Presumably for balance, but Jongin couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

“That’s quite the list you have,” the vendor muttered, plucking the tiny glass bottle from a sack behind his table. Jongin tucked it into a small pocket, ignoring his comment. It wouldn’t do to have it break before he even got to use it.

Jongin unfurled his list, wincing when he saw the next ingredient. “Uh, Dreamfruit?”

“Not a chance,” said the vendor. “Wrong season for them.”

“What?!” Kyungsoo squawked, his claws digging into Jongin’s shoulder. His tail curled more tightly around Jongin’s neck; he had to pull it to get the dragon to loosen it. “But we need it! I’m not supposed to look like this!”

The vendor looked the dragon over and shrugged. “At least you’re cute. I saw a guy once who accidentally transformed himself into a Big Blin.”

Kyungsoo only growled, pressing himself against Jongin’s cheek.

“W-where would I be able to get a Dreamfruit then?” Jongin asked.

The vendor pursed his lips pensively, brushing a few stray granules of storm sugar off the table. They sparked against the floor, then fizzled out.

“You’ll have to go upstairs for that. I don’t know who would have now,” he said.

Jongin deflated. Upstairs were all the great masters, the important wizards and alchemists of the city. It was the last place he should go to if he meant to preserve his pride. But his bruised pride was the least of his issues, wasn’t it? The little growl that vibrated through the dragon egged him up the wide winding stairs with nothing but a deep breath to prepare himself.

Just outside the cupola was his former teacher, Yunho, in heavy purple robes embroidered with stars. Jongin gritted his teeth against the rush of heat that flooded his ears, but the shame came anyway. He hadn’t exactly been planning for his first trip back to the tower to be because of a mistake.

Kyungsoo’s annoyed snuffle urged him forward, so he shook himself and walked over to Yunho. When his teacher noticed him, he dipped into an exaggerated bow, but Kyungsoo squeaked and dug his claws into Jongin’s back, almost slipping off. Yunho caught the dragon with a chuckle but didn’t protest when Kyungsoo shot out of his arms and onto Jongin’s shoulders.

“What brings you here, Jongin?” Yunho asked, practically beaming. “I see you’ve got yourself a familiar.”

“I am not!” Kyungsoo cut in. “I’m his _boss_.”

Yunho’s eyebrows shot up. Jongin mustered up a bashful smile, then bit his lip.

“I had a little accident in the kitchen,” he started, but the dragon growled.

“He was experimenting without permission or supervision,” Kyungsoo snapped. “He used _Qilin tears_! And my last Dreamfruit! And all of my aether pudding—”

“I think he gets the picture,” Jongin rushed.

Yunho had folded his arms across his chest, one eyebrow raised with an amused smile. “Please, Jongin. What exactly happened?”

Jongin groaned, his shoulders sloping in defeat. “Somehow the potion swapped Kyungsoo’s body with his familiar’s.”

“There’s a dragon parading as me right now!” Kyungsoo screeched, his little body heaving with his labored breaths. “We got all the other ingredients but _of course_ nobody seems to have any Dreamfruits in this wretched building to get me out of this body!”

Yunho pressed his lips into a thin line, but the mirth in his eyes was unmistakable. He cleared his throat, sucked his teeth, and pursed his lips, and Jongin just _knew_ he was holding back laughter.

“You have to go to the Ancient Pearl Valley for them,” he said at last. “They keep them there year round, but I must warn you, they do not give them away freely. That’s why most vendors rely on other sources of Dreamfruit. They may deny your request even after you journey there.”

The little dragon trembled on his shoulders. Jongin’s heart tightened and he reached up to place a hand on its side. Kyungsoo huffed at that, but still trembled.

“We’ll get that fruit, Kyungsoo. Don’t worry,” Jongin said, but his attempt to comfort the dragon failed; his voice cracked and his own heart was galloping.

The dragon slipped back into his pack without a word.

They made their way back to The Secret Bee to leave the newly bought supplies, and to pick up extra clothing for Jongin, before they set out to the train station. The first train, the InterDistrict Circle Line, would take them to the far end of the Temple District, where they would have to take another two trains to reach the Ancient Pearl Valley. It was just their rotten luck that they had to take the local train, which stopped several times per district, but the ride was pleasant nonetheless. Jongin had curled himself up by a window, drinking in the mountains that surrounded the entirety of the city. Kyungsoo had curled up next to him, with enough distance for Jongin to know that the dragon was still supremely pissed.

They didn’t speak for the rest of the train ride. Kyungsoo climbed into Jongin’s pack without a word when they reached the Temple District Station, and stayed hidden until they reached the inn where they were to sleep for the night. The sun had already been swallowed by the mountains, though the western sky was lit up by the remnants of daylight. Still, it was dark enough for the lanterns to come on, bathing the gray stones of the path in warm light.

Not too far from the station, Jongin came across the Purring Dragon Inn. The entrance was flanked by pines, and there were sand gardens on either side of the porches. In the lantern light it looked cute and inviting, the hanji walls awash in the yellow of the candles.

The inn’s room was cozy enough, with a fire blazing on one side and the bed piled with thick sheets on the other. It was mid-spring, which meant the nights were still chilly (perfect cuddling weather, his mind helpfully supplied; if only Kyungsoo had been human…). Kyungsoo lay before the fireplace, belly up, with an appreciative hum. Jongin tried to hide his smile (because he still didn’t want his foot chewed off) and ducked into the bathroom.

He took his time, soaking in the hot water, scrubbing himself clean, washing the sweat and station grit out of his hair. By the time he got out of the tub, his fingers were pruny, but he felt even more ready to dive into the bed and sleep for a week (and hopefully at the end of that week, this whole mess would be over). Jongin dried himself off and pulled on clean underwear before he shuffled out of the room, absolutely ready to throw himself onto the bed—

Except there was a teal spot in the center, nearly hidden under the puffy sheets.

“Kyungsoo?”

The dragon lifted its head lazily, then stared. Jongin blushed and tried to cover his nipples, even though it was a stupid thing to do.

“Yes?” the dragon finally asked.

Jongin crossed his arms over his chest, feigning anger. “You can’t hog the whole bed.”

“I’d like to see you try and stop m— hey! Put me down!” The dragon protested, his stubby legs furiously kicking air.

Jongin complied, setting the dragon down on the other pillow before he settled into the bed, pulling the sheets over him.

“Looks like I was successful,” he said with a grin.

Kyungsoo grumbled something under his breath and curled up on the pillow. Jongin sighed and squirmed his way into a comfortable position (which for him meant splayed on his back, arms outstretched) when warm scales touched his side. He shrieked and flailed, cursing when he noticed the dragon was no longer on the pillow.

“Stop screaming you big baby,” Kyungsoo piped up from under the sheets. “I’m gonna get cold if I stay out on that pillow.”

“Oh, that’s the excuse,” Jongin grumbled, but his satisfaction didn’t last long. The dragon pricked his side with its claws, then curled itself against Jongin’s ribs. Silence, then— “Would you like for me to put on a shirt?”

It felt like an eternity before the other answered. Jongin thought the dragon had already drifted off to sleep when Kyungsoo slurred, “No. More warm like this.”

“Okay,” Jongin said.

Well… at least they were on speaking terms now.

🝰

They started off early for the Temple District Station. They had a big breakfast, courtesy of the inn, and Jongin packed a few snacks for the first train ride, which he desperately hoped Kyungsoo wouldn’t eat before they even got to the station.

The first train ride was quite fast, speeding through valleys that had only just come to understand that winter was over. The landscape was still brown, bare branches that shivered and rustled in the breeze, and the springs were swollen with fresh crystalline meltwater. As they neared the small town of FetBjörn, the valleys turned the lush evergreen of pine forests, still firmly ensconced in winter snow.

Two hours. That was how long they had to wait for the train that would take them to the Ancient Pearl Valley. With a reluctant sigh, Jongin decided to explore the town. Most stores were bear themed, and there were drawings of a strange animal that looked like a very fat bear, but with the markings of a melanistic jaguar. He paused at a cafe (with that same animal on the door) and ordered a hot cider. Then, naturally, he heard the snuffle of Kyungsoo’s snout when the little dragon poked its head out of the pack.

“Smells good,” Kyungsoo mumbled.

“Oh, you’re alive,” Jongin joked.

The dragon climbed out of the pack and hopped onto a table.

“What’d you get me?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Jongin said, taking a sip of his cider.

“I want some,” the dragon grumbled.

It sniffed the edge of the mug, but Jongin squawked and shooed him off. “That’s gross!”

“Then get me some!” Kyungsoo growled back.

“Fine,” Jongin murmured.

He stood up and shuffled towards the counter, plonking the extra coins on the thick wood for a dragon-sized cup of cider when a scream pierced the silence. Jongin whirled around, rushing to his table. Kyungsoo’s back was arched, the little dragon’s teeth on full display as it hissed and spit. The next table over, there was one of those strange, bear-like creatures, baring its fangs.

“Oh, sorry!” the shop owner said. She ran to the creature and picked it up, tucking it under her arm. “He’s very jealous, doesn’t like other creatures in the shop.”

“That’s okay,” said Jongin, trying to pick Kyungsoo up, but the dragon dug its claws into the table and growled. “Knock it off, Kyungsoo.”

“I’m gonna tear that thing apart,” the dragon hissed.

“Oookay, we’re leaving now,” said Jongin.

He finally pried the dragon off the table and stuffed him into the pack. Kyungsoo tried to wriggle his way back out, but Jongin gave him a stern look. Dragon safely stuffed, he rushed out.

“Wait! You forgot your drink!” the shop owner called out. She held his cup, but there was a second one in her hand.

“I only paid for one?” Jongin said.

“Second one is on us. For the disturbance,” she said with a broad smile.

“Oh. Thank you,” Jongin said shyly. At least now he would be able to comfort the dragon with hot cider. But first, “what was that thing?”

“A fetbjörn! They’re forest spirits,” she said.

“Thanks. Sorry about the commotion.”

“It’s nothing. Enjoy your cider!” she said with a wave.

He settled down in the train station’s waiting room, since the train would pull in soon. He put his pack on the table, snickering when the dragon’s snout popped out.

“Is that thing gone?” it asked.

“Yes. And I have cider for you,” Jongin replied.

“Ooh,” the dragon wiggled out of the pack and sniffed the drink. “Ugh, perfect.”

The dragon slurped the cider, draining the cup much faster than Jongin. But that was good, given that the train was pulling into the station. It would stay for half an hour, long enough for Jongin to finish his cup and take them inside.

The second train was much slower. In fact it was made of older cars, rickety and quaint compared to the trains in the city, but it matched the town of FetBjörn perfectly. This ride would take until the next morning, so Jongin paid extra for a sleeping car and made himself comfortable.

The more the train meandered, the higher the mountain peaks became. Some had snow-covered forests, while others had dolmens precariously propped on cliff sides, built by the same stone giants who now lounged under them. Some of the waterfalls had dragons soaking up the rush, and in a far off cave Jongin swore he saw a group of fire salamanders burning up a basilisk carcass.

As night fell, the train car grew warmer, lulling him into a pliant sleepiness. They’d had dinner just after sunset, then tea and rice cakes, but now the sweet comfort of sleep called to him. He changed into his pajamas and climbed into the bed. He meant to look out of the window just a little longer, at the rush of night that was occasionally interrupted by goblin fire and fairy showers, but he realized, after a solid five seconds of looking out of the window, that he should just sleep.

Jongin rolled onto his side and buried his face into the pillow when he felt something bump his arm. It was Kyungsoo, squirming and wiggling to get between Jongin’s arms. He tried to stop the goofy smile that formed on his lips, but it made him irrationally happy to see the little dragon snuffle against him.

“I didn’t realize dragons liked to be spooned,” Jongin quipped.

“Shut up and snuggle me, you big idiot,” Kyungsoo snapped.

And who was he to say no? He pulled the dragon close and pressed a kiss to the dragon’s head.

“Hey, no kissin’,” Kyungsoo grumbled.

“You want snuggles, I want smooches,” Jongin retorted.

A moment of silence, then, “fine.”

And with that, Jongin drifted off to sleep, dragon in his arms.

🝣

The town of Valo Arbaro was the closest settlement to the greenhouses of the Monaino, the beings responsible for caring for the oldest grove of Dreamfruit. They arrived in the early morning, just as the sun’s rays were warming up the quaint streets. Jongin paused at an inn for a quick breakfast, a shower, and to ask for directions, and they were off.

The path took them through bamboo groves, winding through alcoves with miniature shrines and niches with sleeping cats. Jongin made sure to keep them out of Kyungsoo’s sight, just in case. Their walk was leisurely, a slow pace through the yellow bamboo and deep green of the pines.

The path changed, the sandstone tiles morphing into marble, a sure sign that they were close.

“Let me out,” Kyungsoo huffed, trying to pull himself out of the pack.

“Aish, be patient, you’re going to rip my shirt,” said Jongin.

He stopped and put the pack down, holding back a giggle when Kyungsoo’s back pack got caught in the pack’s drawstring.

“Help me out, would you?” Kyungsoo snapped. “This isn’t dignified.”

“You’re right, sorry. You’re flashing me right now,” said Jongin, unhooking Kyungsoo’s paw.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” the dragon grumbled, and it sounded quite a lot like a threat.

They walked side by side for a while, but soon the dragon was out of breath, scuttling to keep up.

“I should carry you,” he said.

“Absolutely not,” Kyungsoo hissed, but he was panting.

Jongin scooped the dragon into his arms, hiding a smile when Kyungsoo squirmed and wiggled and nearly fell.

“This works better if you aren’t so fidgety,” Jongin chuckled.

“You better not tell anybody about this,” Kyungsoo mumbled.

“Promise,” Jongin said, kissing the top of the dragon’s head.

“Blegh, stop doing that,” Kyungsoo grumbled.

Jongin only giggled. He started down the path again, dragon secured in his arms, and eventually Kyungsoo began to purr. Jongin tried to contain his excitement, but he was pretty sure the little dragon felt his racing heart anyway.

By noon, the greenhouse was in view, twinkling in the sunshine. The grove that lined the path was well tended, manicured trees with silvery-brown bark that twisted and reached up towards the cloud-mottled sky. They were lush with young leaves, light green with gold veins that caught the sun, but no sign of any Dreamfruits.

In the greenhouse, however, was another matter. The trees had delicately twisting branches, weighed down by ripe fruit. The dragons in the greenhouse were a diaphanous pearlescent white, delicate and diminutive peachy blooms on the branch-like appendages of their body. They looked like leafy seadragons, floating along the Dreamfruit trees, inspecting the fruit with care. The scent of jasmine permeated the space, light and sweet.

“Welcome to the Pearl House,” said an ethereal voice. It was a deep and musical voice, almost entrancing.

Jongin turned to look for the source, which was a tall woman robed in white. She had on a painted mask of pearlescent white with minute pink blossoms, and all Jongin could see of her eyes was a watery black depth that reminded him of the night sky. She wasn’t human, that much was for sure. She towered over him, nearly the same height as the Dreamfruit trees, and half as skinny as one. He tried not to stare, but it was difficult not to. Besides, he was pretty sure Kyungsoo was staring too.

“H-hi,” he whimpered. Because what else could he say to this being, who was surely a Monaino.

“You’ve come for Dreamfruit,” she said.

“Y-yes.”

“Mhm,” she turned from him, the swish of her robe sending a wave of clean mountain air Jongin’s way. “Well, the fruit will test you. You must consume it now to know if you are worthy of harvesting Dreamfruit.”

“I— what?”

“It is best if you put down your dragon friend and sit,” she said.

Jongin knelt onto the warm travertine tiles of the central path and let Kyungsoo clamber down. He took off his pack, which Kyungsoo hopped on to with a curious purr, then waited.

The Monaino turned to him again, the bright purple Dreamfruit pulp staining the white edge of her sleeve. This fruit had pearlescent seeds, winking in the sunlight as she walked to him. She pressed the fruit to his lips, and Jongin ate it. He closed his eyes, wincing at the sour freshness of the fruit, but when he opened them again—

He almost screamed. The Dreamfruit pulp bled up her sleeve, but soon she faded into petals. The seadragons were gone, as was Kyungsoo, and the dome of the greenhouse flowed into a night sky, vast and dark and twinkling. It was eating up the greenhouse, tendrils of darkness flowing between the roots of the trees. And the trees! They’d had plenty of fruit when Jongin walked in, but now there were none. The branches were bare, stretching into the stars.

But soon, the darkness engulfed them too. It was just Jongin, kneeling in the midst of the night sky. A star flared above him, and the sky rotated until it was in front of him, and it cracked itself like an egg, the yolk of starlight spilling down to form a waterfall. Jongin waited for a moment, eyes wide as the mist from the waterfall formed a path. He stood on unsteady feet and followed the path to the waterfall, which he did with caution, despite the path feeling solid under his feet. When he reached the waterfall, he stuck his hand in the water (which was a stupid move; Kyungsoo always reminded him to exercise caution, and sticking his hand in a strange waterfall certainly wasn’t cautious). Except it wasn’t really water, but liquid starlight, warm and effervescent as drenched him. He stood under the flow to enjoy it, grinning until his cheeks hurt because the starlight infused him with such _joy_, but that joy was promptly cut off when something shoved him.

He fell hard. His knees rattled from the impact and he felt it in his teeth, wincing as he stood up. The sky had changed to a roiling cauldron of clouds, pierced by tendrils of lightning as the sky heaved and thundered. He was in a bowl, a plateau bordered on three side by sharp rocks and on the fourth by a lake, and in the center of that lake was a white Dreamfruit tree.

But it was bare. No fruits on the tree, not even a leaf to clothe its naked branches. Jongin’s shoulders sagged. So, he was judged unworthy. He walked up to the lake edge and knelt by the water, sighing as the weight of his guilt burdened his shoulders, until something on the lake’s surface made him look again.

A single fruit. The tree’s reflection had one, ripe as it hung from its branch. He looked up at the tree again, but the fruit was not there, only in the tree’s reflection in the placid lake water.

“What if…” he murmured, and dipped his hand into the lake.

At first it was just lukewarm water, drenching his sleeve, spilling out onto the shore to swallow up Jongin’s legs, all of it slipping through his fingers. Waves rippled through the mirror-like stillness of the lake, undulations that made the fruit disappear.

Jongin cursed. Just his luck that this magic lake was super finicky. He stopped moving, counting the seconds until the lake water was still again, and the fruit grew in the reflection. He sucked his teeth, ever so slowly extending his arm until his hand was beneath the reflection of the fruit, and he curled his fingers—

Around something solid. It felt like a real fruit in his hand, firm and waxy, but he hesitated to take it out of the water. What if it dissolved? What if it was some other cursed fruit, or a lake monster that would eat his arm off? He shuddered at the thought, braced himself with a sharp inhale, and pulled the fruit out of the water. For a beat, nothing happened, then—

The world flipped itself upside down. The lake spilled out of the bowl and the clouds lengthened themselves and turned into roots. The lake bed was made of delicate white beams, which looked strangely like the dome of the greenhouse, and the clouds continued their wiggling and growing into Dreamfruit trees, the deep pink fruits sprouting from sparking branches.

Jongin stood up, cradling the fruit to his chest. A single tile formed in front of him, flush with the brim of the lake.

“This is going to do something I hate isn’t it?” he murmured.

With a sigh, he stepped onto the tile. It began to rotate, which sent Jongin to his knees. He screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth at the sloshing of his stomach. He _really_ didn’t want to open his eyes, but he also figured he should know where this tile was taking him, so he gripped the Dreamfruit a little tighter to open his eyes—

When it stopped. Now he was even more terrified to open his eyes. What was he going to see? He filed the question to the back of his mind before his imagination could get the best of him, and gulped.

“You actually did it!” he heard Kyungsoo say.

Wait, Kyungsoo? Jongin opened his eyes, screaming when he saw just how close the little dragon’s snout was to his face.

“Ow,” the dragon hissed, flattening his ears.

“Sorry, sorry! You scared the shit out of me,” said Jongin.

The dragon snorted. “I can see that. Don’t scream so loud, it hurts my ears.”

Kyungsoo clambered onto Jongin’s lap, claws digging into Jongin’s thighs when the little dragon sniffed the fruit. And, because Jongin was an idiot and still loopy from his Dreamfruit-induced trip, he kissed Kyungsoo’s snout.

“I did it,” he said, giggling.

“Okay, I think we need to get you some water and a nap,” said Kyungsoo, wiping his snout with his paw.

The Monaino floated down the main path, stopping to pet a seadragon before she reached him. She brushed a strand of hair away from Jongin’s forehead, then patted his cheek.

“You did well,” she said. “But you should leave with all haste. If too much time passes, you will not be able to right your wrong.”

Kyungsoo squeaked and Jongin’s heart sank. He hugged the dragon close, wincing when he felt Kyungsoo’s heartbeat quicken against his fingertips.

“H-how much time?” he asked.

“I did not mean to alarm you, little one,” she said, “but you should complete this before the week is out.”

The week would end in three days, and travel took two days. They would be cutting it dangerously close.

“Ah, well, I don’t mean to be rude but I think we should head out then,” said Jongin.

The Monaino bowed. “It is not rude at all, Master Jongin. Urgency is your best companion at this moment. Good luck.”

He bowed his head to her and slipped the Dreamfruit into a delicate silk bag, which was hard to do when he was holding a dragon in his other hand, but he managed. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into Kyungsoo, but he tried setting the dragon onto the floor and it clambered right back onto his lap.

“Do you want me to carry you to the train?” he asked.

“It felt kinda nice,” Kyungsoo grumbled.

Jongin bit back a giggle. So Kyungsoo _was_ enjoying his affectionate ministrations; he counted that as a major victory. But alas, it was not the moment to celebrate, not with the impending deadline of the re-transformation, so he put his pack on, tied the cord of the Dreamfruit bag to Kyungsoo’s paw, and picked up the dragon.

“Thank you,” he said to the being. He dipped into a sweeping bow, swallowing his laughter when Kyungsoo wiggled his legs in protest.

“Safe travels,” said the Monaino.

Jongin hoisted Kyungsoo up properly and, with one last look at the serene greenhouse, the gently twinkling sunshine and the light green of the trees, he stepped out.

🝮

Luckily they caught the last train of the day, even though it meant Jongin accidentally squeezed Kyungsoo to his chest just a little too hard as he ran. Kyungsoo made it _very clear_ that his current tummyache was Jongin’s fault, but he seemed to forget it once the train pulled out of the station.

The sun tinged the sky a gentle pink, at first bathing the fuzzy buds of the magnolia trees that blanketed the hillsides, then throwing them into darkness. The dragon stuck its snout out the window, tongue lolling as the fresh breeze blew in through the open window. Jongin shifted in his seat, mumbling an apology when Kyungsoo growled; the little dragon’s back paws were resting on his thigh, which meant Jongin couldn’t move, or he’d knock the dragon off his lap. Great.

Eventually he made his way to a sleeping car, and despite his grunginess, the dragon insisted on snuggling up to him. They slept until well into the morning, when the train pulled into FetBjörn. This time, Jongin made sure to avoid the little forest spirits (and to keep Kyungsoo in the pack, which meant appeasing the little dragon with an apple custard) for the time they were in town.

Then the next train ride, which took them to the Temple District. They arrived at night, but Jongin didn’t bother with an inn, not when he was counting down the days with such urgency. The InterDistrict Circle Line dropped them off at the Castle District station as the sky turned light on the sixth day since Kyungsoo’s transformation. They were both exhausted, and rather grumpy, but Jongin figured he should rest before he attempted to recreate his invention. Just in case. He didn’t want to mess something up and end up with a worse situation.

So he took Kyungsoo home. The dragon didn’t protest. Well, how could he when he was hogging most of Jongin’s twin mattress, snoring lightly. Jongin did his best to squeeze into the space between the dragon and the wall, and drifted off to sleep.

🝮

This was the moment of truth. Jongin had all of the ingredients on the table, the beaker already warming on the flame. Baekhyun had come to watch, sitting on the countertop next to the edible aether, while Junmyeon and Kyungsoo were sitting on the sofa.

“I’d appreciate it if you weren’t all staring at me at the same time,” Jongin huffed.

“You’re not into voyeurism?” Baekhyun quipped.

“How do you even know about that?” Jongin asked, but when the dragon grinned he said, “don’t! Do _not_ tell me. I don’t need to know."

“You _did_ ask,” Baekhyun snickered.

“Whatever, just let me focus,” he said, waving the dragon off.

And he got to work. First the blackberries, which weren’t magical, but it had been his first ingredient last time and he wasn’t sure if they actually did something. Then, the Dreamfruit pulp, which he scooped out almost reverently. Baekhyun tried to lick the skin, but Jongin tapped him on the snout.

“No tasting.”

The dragon mumbled something that sounded very obscene, but Jongin ignored it. Two drops of Qilin tears, which made the beaker sneeze out a cloud of jasmine. Good. That was good. A pinch of storm sugar, a sprig of rosemary, and a little bit of arcane honey. The concoction had turned the same dangerous shade of pink, so Jongin grabbed the magenta dragon off the counter and scurried into the storeroom. He pressed his nose against the glass as the cloud of deep pink spread and grew, and promptly disappeared into Junmyeon and Kyungsoo. Jongin waited an extra minute, heart galloping, then rushed out of the storeroom. Well, not before he unceremoniously dropped Baekhyun. The dragon cursed and snapped at his heels.

They were both unconscious on the sofa. A good sign, yes, definitely good. Jongin reached out to touch Kyungsoo’s very human cheek, but it was the dragon who woke up first.

“Did it work?”

“Junmyeon? Myeonnie smoochie-poo? Is that you?” Baekhyun asked, hopping onto the sofa.

“Baekhyunnie,” the dragon said, “yeah, it’s me.”

Baekhyun whooped, prancing along the sofa’s edge.

“You did it, you big dummy!” the dragon said.

“Shut up,” Jongin grumbled.

“This is so disorienting,” said Kyungsoo. He cracked open his eyes, grinning when he held up a hand. “But it’s great to be back.”

“I’m so relieved,” Jongin said, laughing. It was a nervous laugh, mostly because he knew Kyungsoo was probably going to strangle him now.

“Ugh, Junmyeon, couldn’t you bathe while I was gone?” Kyungsoo said, his nose scrunched in disgust.

“I could say the same for you,” the dragon grumbled, scratching its ear.

Baekhyun sniffed the teal dragon and promptly sneezed. “Yeah, gross.”

“I’m going home now because I desperately need a bath, but _we_ are going to have a serious talk tomorrow,” Kyungsoo said.

Jongin gulped. Right, because he was still technically in trouble. Like, a shitload of trouble. He avoided Kyungsoo’s eyes and started cleaning up, washcloth in hand.

“Oh, and don’t forget to brush Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo said with a wave.

And the door shut behind him. Jongin looked at the teal dragon, which was decidedly less cute now that it wasn’t Kyungsoo, and grimaced.

“Don’t make that face! You’re the one who didn’t bother scrubbing me down while you were out exploring the world,” Junmyeon snapped. “You can clean that up later, my ears itch.”

🝰

Jongin dressed up extra nice the next morning. Mostly because he was hoping he would look cute enough for Kyungsoo to forgive him, but also because he figured that if he was being fired, he should be fired fabulously.

But any confidence he’d built up on the way to The Secret Bee dissipated when he saw Kyungsoo’s face. He shot Kyungsoo a bashful smile and sat on a stool. Kyungsoo tapped his fingertips on the countertop for one tense, long minute, then pursed his lips.

“I’ll keep this short, because we’re so ridiculously behind on orders it’ll be a miracle if we ever catch up,” Kyungsoo began, and Jongin let out a sigh of relief, because hurray! He wasn’t fired! “I was going to expel you—” which was not comforting to hear “—but you proved yourself on this trip. I was impressed. And the fact that you were found worthy of picking a Dreamfruit… that’s no small feat. So, you stay. But—” and the icy tone of Kyungsoo’s voice made Jongin flinch, “I expect an excellent performance from you now. And I sure as hell,” he continued, inching his way closer to Jongin, “expect you to be a better boyfriend than you are an apprentice.”

“Of course!” Jongin sputtered, then, “Wait, what?”

“What do you mean what? You’re cute and sweet, even though you’re way too unfocused and clumsy. I like you. And you’re a good snuggler,” Kyungsoo added.

Jongin was pretty sure Kyungsoo was blushing now, and it made his heart sing. “Yes. I’ll— mph!”

Kyungsoo cut him off with a kiss, which was chaste and sweet and over far too soon. “Talk later, cook now. We’ve got tons of orders to fulfill, this magic isn’t going to make itself.”

“Right. Okay. Can I get one more kiss though?” he asked.

Kyungsoo shot him an annoyed look (or, well, what was supposed to be an annoyed look but ended up being super cute). “Fine. One more. Then we cook.”

One more was exactly what Jongin needed. One more was perfect.

**-FIN-**


End file.
